A cracker

Mrs Polisherman wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 4:53 pm ...down socks...hot Ribena...snow...

Perfect!

Great snowy bivvy report!

November bivi 24

I'd set off earlier in the month planning to have a bivvy in the New Forest, at a spot that I’d camped at a few years ago. It was an enjoyable ride out there on country lanes, stopping for coffee in Burley I picked up a few beers for the evening.
Riding deeper into the woods, I pulled over off the track, and found a log. I grabbed my lunch from my rucksack. It wasn't far from where I'd planned to bivvy, but as I looked around I decided to explore. Going deeper into the enclosure I found a spot that I thought looked ideal. But as it was getting chillier I reached for my cycling helmet, it was nowhere to be seen. Oh damn, I must've left it on that log, so wandered back, but it wasn't there. Re-tracing my steps, it was no where to be seen, I was absolutely bewildered. And then I suddenly realised I didn't have my rucksack either. Oh dear, was I going mad? I went back to my lunchtime log again, but still nothing. Then I realised that I had quite a bit of expensive camera equipment in it.
Whilst suffering a senior moment, somebody must've walked off with it. I was really deflated and had lost my appetite for this mini adventure.

Two weeks later, I was off for a slightly more local camp. It was a place we used to frequent as children, known to us as Gus common, but actually called Burton Common. Popular with dog walkers and horse riders, it’s relatively easy to hide yourself away amongst the trees this time of year. However, the forecast was for rain, turning to snow by morning, so I decided to switch from my plough point, back to my usual hammock, and be off of the ground. A wise choice. Arriving mid afternoon I set up the hammock and tarp and proceeded to get prepared for some cooking. I brought a firebox wood-stove, with a supply of dry wood. Quite a simple meal this time really. Baked sweet potatoes, sausage and baked beans. Comfort food for a cold long night. The flames from the wood-stove added cheer, more so as the Sun set and the shadows grew longer. It was a bit too chilly for beers, but I packed my hip flask which I enjoyed supping from as the night wore on. A relatively good night sleep, but I was awake early to cook my bacon and eggs for breakfast. The rain started around about seven, and as I finish packing up it was turning to snow. It was a short wet ride home, and I spent the rest of the day sorting and drying out my gear.
Oh, by the way, I did get all my kit back that I had left unattended. The person that picked it up handed it in at the police station. Twenty-four hours of worry and a bit of faffing about. But everything turned out fine in the end.

Video https://youtu.be/Wdykpc0SK54

Phew, I was a bit concerned there for a while with all the 'lost gear' jeopardy. Still some nice people around thank goodness.

November BaM: Codename...Operation Noddy Holder

A weekend long anticipated as a group camp to a 'always seen but not visited' trig point above Stoodley Pike, up on the moors between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale.

But then Storm Bert intervened, and it became a solo effort. Set off in the rain on the Surly (When you need a Toyota Hilux, not a Maseratti) along the Penine Bridleway north from home:
IMG20241123171808 by dear_jim, on Flickr
The plan had been changed to set up a basecamp into the reservoirs/moors from the WhiteHouse Pub between Littleborough and Halifax. Camped near my favourite named reservoir 'Light Hazzles' hiding from the wind.
IMG20241123203116 by dear_jim, on Flickr
Rain and wind all night, suffered 'wet tent face slap', but warm and dry inside my sleeping bag, inside my bivvy bag, inside my tent. Spent 14 hours inside the tent waiting for the anticipated weather window for the summit attempt, and the Little Holder Stones were bagged. Picture shows trig at Little Holder Stones, with Holder Stones and Stoodley Pike in the background.
IMG20241124111743 by dear_jim, on Flickr
The exit route crossed a usually pathetic conduit drain, which seemed to have turned into Strata Florida circa Nov 2023, so a waist deep push to the other side. Then down to Hollingworth Lake for chips and home via the Rochdale canal.
So still have to camp at the summit with chums, but deffo in the summer!

Sorry to abandon you to a solo November BaM Vegancheese, but very much looking forward to a summer Noddy Holder trip instead

So glad to hear you got all your kit back Dorsetshirelad

I've just being going back through my bivvy stats, and realised October was my 100th bivvy in total.

I did my November bivvy a couple of weeks ago it was a nice cold clear night it seemed an ideal time. Equipped with my new support in life christened Liz Truss by Reg i thought i would attempt to go a bit further afield than i was able to manage for the previous two months. As i had to pass my local it seemed rude not to stop for a pint or more eventually i dragged myself away from the fire into the cold night and rode very gently to the nights bivvy spot one of the many old quarries on the Malvern Hills. It was surprisingly windy and after a while i decided on the orientation of the bivvy bag got in and settled just after the wind changed and the bag was being partially inflated which as it turned was no bad thing as it kept the condensation to a minimum.
PXL_20241112_065654715 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I slept quite well and as i was enjoying a coffee in bed a couple of dog walkers passed by but didnt see me, i arose with the sun into a beautiful morning for a stunning ride home .

PXL_20241112_073922264 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

PXL_20241112_074458074 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

11/12 for2024

Cocked it again. Am primary on-call again, for the second time this month, plus I'm home alone with daughter this weekend. So no chance of getting out and getting my November BaM in, unless I resort to the nonsense roller BaM joke effort. *sighs*

Placeholder Bob...

Nice spot Kev ... maybe somewhere for '25 Cider Tour?

Quick rule check please. Is there anything about reusing a spot within 12 months?

gecko76 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 4:49 pm Quick rule check please. Is there anything about reusing a spot within 12 months?

I hope there isn’t. I have several candidates for disqualification if there is.

gecko76 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 4:49 pm Quick rule check please. Is there anything about reusing a spot within 12 months?

Nah, I've used one 3 times this year and may make it 4 tomorrow night. You could use the same spot 12 months in a row and win the 'unimaginative' award

Ah good. Had various ideas but they can wait in favour of (hopefully) a known quantity.

If it made you feel better you could ride different ways there and use different shelters each time .

OK BAM adjudicators, I've got a question which to me is quite straightforward....
Some months ago I booked a couple nights to stay at Eigiau cottage. Its £13 per night and an additional fiver for the fuel. Payment is made after the stay.
Fast forward to yesterday I made my way to the cottage knowing that I'd failed with my BAM attempt for this year. And you know what, I wasn't actually bothered.
The warden for the cottage sent me an email earlier in the week to give me the heads up that the cottage had some flooding issues due to last weekends very quick snow melt. He wasn't sure what it was going to be like (he lives down south).
So to cut this short, it was in a bit of a state. We've all stayed in similar but.
So I cleaned up the sludge from the floor, re-routed numerous streams outside, unblocked culverts, you get the jist.


I only stayed last night and jibbed out on my Saturday night booking and rode home this afternoon.
I emailed the warden who replied with his sincere thanks for getting stuck in and also saying there is no charge!

So does this count as my BAM?

No charge so must do . Warden should be paying you for tidying up, top work .

That bottle in the stream is a shame, people should take their rubbish home .

RIP wrote: ↑Sat Nov 30, 2024 6:54 pm No charge so must do . Warden should be paying you for tidying up, top work .

That bottle in the stream is a shame, people should take their rubbish home .

An unexpected BAM

And another one bites the dust. November BaM done. On the Long Mynd.

My (new to me) car developed a fault, so had to go back to the garage in Shrewsbury. They seemed unsure how long the job would take, so rather than hang around for an indeterminate time, why not train down to Church Stretton and Ride around on the Long Mynd for a while? But then again, as I haven't got my November bivvy in yet, why not do that too and get my car back on the next day?

So, bike on the back, drive to the garage, train to Ludlow ...


...then pedal back to the Long Mynd and bivvy there.

At Ludlow, I realised I'd left my bum bag at home with my wallet and heart meds at home. I begged at the Nationwide branch for some cash and they were helpful. Nothing I could do about the meds, but I ain't dead, so that's OK. While I was forgetting stuff, I left the nice piece of naturally smoked haddock behind (that I'd put at the top of the freezer ready for the morning) as well.

This was not a very exciting ride, being almost all on lanes except for maybe a mile from Aldon on a horribly muddy bridleway to Stokesay Castle...


Lunch at the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms then more lanes to the southern end of the Mynd at Plowden. Then followed a truly horrible push up the Jack Mytton Way to the top, before dropping down into Priors Holt woods to bivvy. By then, at about four o'clock, the wind, although not particularly strong, had got very cold and carried a few crystals of ice.

Following Dorsetshirelads example, I'd planned to cook a proper meal.

I set up my tarp with the windward side pegged to the ground to keep the wind off, while the other side I tied high to a pair of conveniently placed trees.

Camp kitchen...


I'd left my piece of fish at home so after getting the cash in Ludlow, I got some from Tesco along with a couple of focaccia buns. I hadn't forgotten the onion, butter and two potatoes though.

Fry onions until clear, then add potato chopped into 1cm cubes and water and boil until tender.


Meanwhile, simmer haddock in milk until tender...


flake...


add milk and fish to the pan with the potato/onion and cook for five more minutes.

I give you...



....Cullen Skink!

I'd never heard of it before a couple of weeks ago, but it's dead easy to make and very filling -especially with the two focaccia batons. I should have used a little less water to cook the potatoes - it made it a bit runny - but it was very warming on a cold November night in the woods.

I hadn't hung my hammock to leave room in the shelter to cook, but it soon went up and I retired to bed with my (now standard) 100ml Jaegermeister nightcap. Soon dropped off - a full belly and jaegermeister does that but just after midnight I was woken by the most agonising cramp in both my legs. I managed to roll out of my hammock but lay on the ground in agony for what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes. I couldn't move - just lay there trying to ease the cramps. I probably hadn't drunk enough water, but anyway, it passed and I slept until the alarm went off at 7:30.

Next morning - view from bed...



The bivvy...



In the morning, the legs were fine and I rolled down to Church Stretton for breakfast before catching the train back to Shrewsbury.

My car wasn't fixed - they'd sent the wrong part. Look on the bright side - there could be another ride...

Lu wrote: I'd left my bum bag at home with my wallet and heart meds

Of course you did!!

A very professional job as usual

Some crackers this month, particularly jealous of the polishers snowy bivvy. Having just worked through 5 days of super cold temps and clear nights I'm now in my scratcher at 12 degrees! Cumulus 150 quilt in November! I ask you. Anyway its blowing a bloody gale (unforecasted) so probs not my usual 8hrs in the land of nod. Hey ho.

Full report to follow.

Blimey.. all I can see is trees!

So this one, I recognise the style, 99% certain it's by a pal, an ex-history teacher from Hungary with an vaguely exciting wife and kids. Passed on my way out of town not going too far for the safe spot I found with my girls in January.
https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... 50#p318965